Alfred l



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

ALFRED L. BERNARDIN, OF EVANSVIILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERNARDINMETALLIC CORK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BOTTLE-UNCAPPING TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 501,050, dated July11, 1893.

Serial No.465.903. (No model.)

To all whom t mag/concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. BEENAEDIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBottle-Uncapping Tools; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to bottle uncappi ng tools and has specialreference to tools for removing bottle caps of the character illustratedin my application for bottle stopper and fastener combined, tiled July21, 1892, Serial N o. 440,790.

The invention will first be described in connection with theaccompanying drawings and then particularly pointed out in the claims atthe end of this description.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference areused to denote similar parts, Figure l represents a perspective view ofmy improved bottle uncapping tool fixed to a counter or other stationarysupport, to adapt the bottle to serve as a lever in removing the cap.Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section, illustratingthe operation of removing the bottle cap. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of thetool with a lever or handle for manipulating the device. Fig. 4 is asec-` tional side view of the same, the section being taken on lineIV-IVof Fig. 3.A Fig. 5 is a front view of the device shown in Figs. 3 and 4.Fig. 6 is a plan illustrating a modiii-v cation of the tool, and Fig. 7is a front view of the same.

The bottle and cap shown herein are not claimed as a part of my presentinvention, but form the subject-matter of my aforesaid lpendingapplication.

The uncapping tool consists essentially of a suitable shank or handleprovided with a head having a prong or prongs a, and an adjacentterminal lifting flange or lip a2, together with a toothed fulcrum-piecea', supported in advance of said lip andadapted to engage the top of thecap.

In4 Figs. l and 2 the tool proper-is shown as being attached to orformed `with a shank which serves as a support for attachment to atable, counter or other fixture, so as to permit the device to be heldstationary while the bottle is properly applied for removing the cap. Inthe remaining figures the shank is inthe form of an ordinary handle orlever to adapt the device to be conveniently carried about the personorhung upon a nail or other suitable support when notin use. The shankA, (Figs. l and 2) of the tool is preferably provided with a pair 'ofdivergent arms or prongs a, a, which extend ina gentle curve upward andoutward and then forward to the point of intersection with a cross-baror fulcrum-piece a', which may be formed integrally therewith. At thejunction of the arms and shank the latter is provided below the plane ofthe fulcrum piece a with a slightly depressed prolongation or lip a2,having a curved edge to tit the curvature of the bottle cap andproviding an intermediate recess as, to receive a circumferential rib orbead b, projecting from the edge of the bottle cap B, as shown in Fig.2. The fulcrum bar a', is provided with two (more or less) indentingpoints or teeth a4, which are adapted to take into or indent the top orupper surface of the cap so as to prevent the tool or bottle fromslipping when power is applied in removing the cap.

In the stationary form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the prongsa, a, are also preferably provided with side flanges or ears a5,

a5, which serve as guides in inserting the bottle neck so as to causethe bead of the cap to enter the aforesaid recess @intermediate the baseof the prongs and lip. These guides, however, may be omitted, in whichcase the head or tool proper shown in Fig. l will be substantiallythe'same as that shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In the latter igures thetool does not differ from the construction described with reference toFigs. 1 and 2, except as stated, save that instead of a shank forming asupport for attachment to a counter or other fixture, the tool isprovided with a shank A',

which serves as a handle for manipulating the device in removing thecap, and adapts the tool to be conveniently carried in the pocket.

In Figs. 6 and 7, the tool is provided witha T-head A2, the singlesupporting prong of which springs from the handle or support A, so as torise slightly above the lip or flan gc a2, and terminates in a cross-barhaving a tooth or teeth a4, as described with reference to Figs. l to 5.It will be understood, of course, that the number of teeth upon the toolhead is immaterial, and while I preferably use the divergent prongs withtwo teeth, one at the intersection of each arm a. with the cross-bar a',for the purpose of providing a firm hold or grip upon the bottle cap, agreater or less number of teeth may be employed.

The operation of the inven tion will be readily understood from theforegoing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

In uncapping with the stationary tool the bottle is applied, as shown inFig. 2, with the bead l), of the cap engaging the 'recess and the lipa2, underneath, while the fulcrumpiece is supported with the points orteeth a4 thereof in contact with the surface of thefpb In this positionby lifting the bottle the teeth a4 taking into the cap will preventslipnng while the lip a2, holds the bead, thus disconnecting the cap.The operation with the device shown in the remaining figures isprecisely the same, except that the power is applied to the leverorhandle A,instead of the bottle, which serves as a lever in the formercase.

A can-opening device has heretofore been devised having a handle with apendent lifting lip to engage underneath the outer edge or rim of thecover and an arm extending across the top of the can and having aninclined lip adapted to engage the opposite outer edge or rim of thecover, so as to force the cover down and toward the can at one sidewhile its opposite side is being raised; but such devices areunsatisfactory and obj ectionable in use, for the reason that theWedging action of the device tends to injure or break the mouth or neckof a glass or other breakable vessel. But with my improved uncappingtool it will be observed that the prongs which support the fulerumbarwith indenting points or teeth do not extend entirely across the capwhen the tool is applied to a bottle head, as shown in Fig. 2, but onlypartially across, and preferably about one-half the width of the cap, soas to adapt the indenting points to engage the upper surface of the capat a point which will insure a firm hold and thereby prevent slipping,and this feature with the added advantage of the leverage secured by thedescribed construction makes it easy to remove the cap without liabilityto break the bottle mouth or head.

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

l. A tool for removing bottle caps comprising a suitable shank or handleprovided with a head having a terminal lifting ange or lip, togetherwith a fulcrum-piece having indenting points supported in advance ofsaid lip and above the plane thereof so as to engage the upper surfaceof the cap, substantially as described.

2. A tool for removing bottle caps comprising a suitable shank providedwith a head havinga recess adapted to receive the circumferential beadof the cap and an adjacent lifting ange or lip adapted to itundersaidbead, together with a fulcrum-piece having indenting points supportedupon divergent arms springing from the shank above the plane of the lipand adapted to engage the upper surface of the cap, substantially asdescribed.

,i 3. A bottle uncapping tool comprising the shank having the prongedhead with fulcrumpiece extending partially across the head and providedwith indenting points and the depressed lip in rear thereof and belowthe plane of said points for engaging and lifting the bead of the cap,substantially as described.

4. A bottle uncapping tool comprising the shank having the pronged headwith toothed fulcrum-piece supported upon said prongs the latterextending only partially across the bottle cap, and the lifting flangeor lip projecting below the plane of the prongs so as to provide anintermediate recess adapted to receive the bead of the cap,substantially as described.

5. The bottle uncapping tool comprising the shank having the headprovided with divergent arms or prongs extending partially across thebottle cap and having the ears or guides thereon, and the cross-bar withteeth integral therewith, together with thelip or flange projectingbetween said arms below the plane thereof so as to provide anintermediate recess to receive the bead of the cap, substantially asdescribed.

6. A cap removing tool provided with a shank or handle having a headformed with a terminal iange or lip adapted to lift the projectingcircumferential bead of the cap, and a forwardly projecting fulcrumsupport extending partially across the cap above the plane of said lipand provided with indenting points adapted to take into the uppcrsurfaceof the cap so as to prevent the tool from slipping, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED L. BERNARDIN. lVitnesses:

AUGUSTUS D. BERNARDIN,

Having thus fully described my invention,

JACOB HAAs.

IIO

